Biometrics are best defined as measurable physiological and/or behavioral characteristics that can be utilized to verify the identity of an individual. They include fingerprints, retinal and iris scans, hand geometry, voice patterns, facial features, and other characteristics. They are of interest in any area where it is important to verify the true identity of an individual. Initially, techniques using biometrics were employed primarily in specialized high security applications, however we are now seeing their use and proposed use in a much broader range of public situations.
Examples of public use-type situations include prison visitor systems, where visitors to inmates are subject to verification procedures in order that identities may not be swapped during the visit—a familiar occurrence among prisons worldwide; driver licenses, whereby some authorities found that drivers (particularly truck drivers) had multiple licenses or swapped licenses among themselves when crossing state lines or national borders; canteen administration, particularly on campus where subsidized meals are available to bona fide students, a system which was being heavily abused in some areas; and benefit payment systems, wherein several states have saved significant amounts of money by implementing biometric verification procedures, reducing the numbers of multiple claims made by an individual.
Biometric reference templates can be uniquely identified and associated with the identity of an individual. The biometric data component of a template is a constant that identifies an individual. Exposure of a reference template over time, when aggregated with other information, provides a footprint of activities that the individual participated in (such as, making a purchase in a store, clocking in and out of work, paying a highway toll) and the locations of that individual at various points in time (such as, when they were at a particular banking machine, toll booth, or store's check-out register).
Thus, a need exists to protect the privacy of individuals who wish to benefit from the use of biometrics, but who have concerns about personal privacy, or who do not wish to be easily monitored or tracked. It would be beneficial to provide a way to easily revoke biometric reference templates.